"The most promising aspect of this deal is that in a year or two, it may be the case that no one will think Parker's name worth mentioning at all in regard to anything, except as an historical event in the US wine market. I plan to start that policy now".

Read more closely, it sure has all the earmarks of an April Fool's joke. Can anyone with a subscription get through the WSJ paywall to the original story? With all respect, is Letty Teague credible on hard business news?

I paid more attention to the Iraqi Information Minister in 2003 than I did to Lettie. (At least one of them was entertaining.)

Robin, google robert parker wsj and it'll show up. If you access a WSJ story via google you can read it fully.

I love this quote from LPB in the WSJ article (as incompetent/far from the mark as Teague is, I doubt she could get a quote like this wrong.)

"Ms. Perrotti-Brown said the company is discussing terms with its correspondents, who include lead critic Antonio Galloni, as well as David Schildknecht, Mark Squires and Neal Martin, whom she and Mr. Parker hope will sign on as employees. If they decline? 'There is a plethora of good wine writers out there. It's a buyer's market,' she said."

Sounds like the Mitt Romney school of management. I'm sure Messrs Martin, Galloni and Schildknecht would love hearing that they're such easily replacable labor. What a way to start.

Last edited by Salil on Mon Dec 10, 2012 2:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I am especially excited to share the following news with all of you. In 2001, I asked Wine Technologies to join TWA team as a partner and an investor as we developed the eRobertParker.com site that has been such a huge success. Yet, despite the success of our joint effort over more than a decade, it is important that we look ahead including adapting to the latest technology/platforms and providing enhanced applications for our readers. I have again taken on some investors, three 30-early 40ish highly qualified business and technology people and enthusiastic wine lovers as well as long time subscribers. They are totally independent of the wine industry and have a very global vision that is essential in today's world.

Some of the changes we are considering for 2013 are:

1. Further expansion of our coverage in all of the world's wine producing regions and much more efficient delivery of that information to you.

2. Many new features including new applications, more videos, a PDF of TWA for electronic subscribers, virtual tastings, and a new program called Icon Wines - all designed to take advantage of a state of the art technology platform and rapid fire response site for subscribers.

3. We will be offering wine education conferences with plans to tour a range of cities around the world.

4. While our office in Monkton, Maryland continues to remain "THE HEADQUARTERS" we intend to open another office in Singapore where the investors reside and from where we can more easily serve Asian countries.

5. Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, who also resides in Singapore, will manage the office and become our editor-in-chief, assuming all responsibilities for coordinating TWA content, editing and proof-reading, things that I have found enormously time-consuming and am thrilled to transfer so I can focus on what I love most, bringing you the world's best coverage of great wines, no matter what their price.

6. While we would love to add a few additional writers, especially to deepen the coverage of emerging wine regions such as China, etc. we plan that our current writers will continue to do what they have been doing. We simply want to deliver that information using the fastest and most professional methods that modern technology permits.

7. While rumors about me retiring have circulated for years, nothing could be further from the truth. I am still in this profession for the long-term as I remain the CEO and Chairman of the TWA board, and an owner. Moreover, I will continue to comprehensively cover Bordeaux, the Rhone, retrospectives on California vintages, and profiles of under $25 wine bargains from our finest importers.

From the ancient beginning days of TWA, back in 1978, when the publication was a simple 8-10 page rough-hewn document, my vision and goal was to create a body of wine knowledge that exceeded anything the world had ever seen. I never dreamed that the internet and the technology revolution would be such a welcome catalyst to expedite achieving my goals. I also never dreamed TWA would sweep across the civilized world with an impact that was beyond my wildest dreams. The dream, the vision, the commitment to wine consumers for fair and independent content continues. I wish I were 25 years younger as I feel so excited about the new investor team and what we can accomplish together.

It is impossible not to thank all of you. To live the life of your dreams is a rare privilege. I can never take it for granted, and do realize how fate and fortune have shone brightly on me. I am profoundly touched by the faith and confidence all of you have bestowed on me and our team. Just saying thank you is woefully inadequate....but nonetheless....thank you from the bottom of my heart and soul.

I am especially excited to share the following news with all of you. In 2001, I asked Wine Technologies to join TWA team as a partner and an investor as we developed the eRobertParker.com site that has been such a huge success. Yet, despite the success of our joint effort over more than a decade, it is important that we look ahead including adapting to the latest technology/platforms and providing enhanced applications for our readers. I have again taken on some investors, three 30-early 40ish highly qualified business and technology people and enthusiastic wine lovers as well as long time subscribers. They are totally independent of the wine industry and have a very global vision that is essential in today's world.

Gasp.....like...as in..."followed him from the very start"??? I sorta doubt that.

This post does not say that TWA has been sold...only that he's taken in some new investors. Somewhat different I'd say.Tom

I don't know that this really changes anything. Parker's influence has already been in decline, and since he's not actually retiring, the consumers who are still slavishly dependent on him will not be forced to think for themselves. And since he will still be covering Bordeaux, the impact of his scores on prices will probably not decline much either.

I can honestly say that for me, he is nothing more than one critic among many whose reviews of Bordeaux I will consult before making a cellar purchase. I consider his reviews one valid "data point" to "throw into the average," albeit one that I probably give less weighting.

So is this a bombshell? No. I personally think that Suckling leaving Spectator to go independent was a more significant change in the wine criticism landscape (and I've decided I'm glad of that one - it gives me more "data points" to work with).

"The sun, with all those planets revolving about it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else to do"Galileo Galilei

(avatar: me next to the WIYN 3.5 meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory)

I kinda wish I could get at Neal Martin's notes for free once more as a result of this oh so dramatic change, it's really just about the only think about WA I care about, except for Schindel... the guy with the long name.